What Is Kundalini Yoga?
Kundalini yoga is a certain yoga discipline with a set of techniques that use the body with the mind and senses to make a communication between the body and mind. Kundalini yoga is focused on the psycho-spiritual growth. It also takes into consideration the role of the spine and endocrine system.
Chakras in the body are an important aspect of the Kundalini yoga. The spiritual power that in generated in the body is known as kundalini. This kundalini is considered to be a potential form of prana - life force - that is currently lying dormant in our body. They way many think of it is as a coiled serpent ("kundalini" means "that which is coiled" in Sanskrit (kunda = to coil or to spiral), though others disagree on this meaning. It is said to lie at the base of the spine, and can be sprung awake when activated by spiritual disciplines.
How Kundalini Yoga Is Practiced
Kundalini style of yoga has many bodily postures, some expressive movements and utterances, breathing patterns, and degrees of concentration. They should all be considered more than just stretching or gymnastic exercises.
Like some of the other yogas, Kundalini yoga carefully considers breathing. But it is different in that it uses a direct focus on moving energy throughout the chakras system, stimulating energy at the lower chakras and moving it up higher to the higher chakras. These "chakras" are the energy centers of the body. There are seven in all, from the base of the spine to the top of the head. Kundalini yoga adds an eighth charka - the electromagnetic field, often called the "aura". This aura is considered to be strengthened through the practice of Kundalini yoga.
In a nutshell, Kundalini Yoga attempts to awaken the energy that resides within the spine by activating the intertwined nerve channels there. Sometimes this type of yoga is called "the Yoga of Awareness," because it awakens the "Kundalini" - or unlimited potential that exists inside every human being. Yogis believe that when the infinite potential energy is raised in the body, it stimulates all the higher centers of the body, giving one enhanced intuition, creative potential, and mental clarity.
For a while, Kundalini was considered dangerous by the ruling powers and so it could only be practiced in secret. The information of how to do Kundalini yoga was something that was only passed from Master to student after a long initiation process designed to determine the commitment of the student.
